Predicting Immunotherapy Responses: Research Discovers Key Factors for Successful Outcomes
New breakthrough in cancer treatment! Researchers from Johns Hopkins University have discovered a unique group of mutations in cancer tumors that suggests how receptive the tumor will be to immunotherapy.
Immunotherapy is no longer just a buzzword in the cancer world. It's a treatment option that uses your own immune system to fight the disease[2]. And while it's been successful for some cancers like breast, melanoma, leukemia, and non-small cell lung, not every cancer can benefit from it[2]. This new discovery aims to change that.
Currently, doctors use the overall number of mutations in a tumor, called the tumor mutation burden (TMB), to predict how well a tumor will respond to immunotherapy[3]. But the Johns Hopkins team found a more specific subset of mutations within the TMB, which they call "persistent mutations." These mutations are unlikely to disappear as the cancer evolves, making it easier for the immune system to detect and attack the cancer cells[3].
"Persistent mutations keep the cancer cells visible to the immune system, allowing a better response to immunotherapy," says lead researcher Dr. Valsamo Anagnostou[3]. Not only does this help doctors select patients more accurately for immunotherapy, but it also predicts outcomes better[3].
This discovery could revolutionize how we select and treat cancer patients with immunotherapy. So, if you're fighting cancer, keep an eye out for this exciting development!
The study was recently published in the journal Nature Medicine.
What is immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy is all about boosting your immune system to help it fight off cancer cells. Usually, cancer cells hide from our immune system, but immunotherapy gives our immune system a leg up in the fight[2].
There are various types of immunotherapy, including checkpoint inhibitors, CAR T-cell therapy, vaccine therapy, and immunomodulatory monoclonal antibodies[2].
Is this study just for one type of cancer?
No, this research could potentially benefit many types of cancer. While the study focused on a certain subset of mutations, the findings could help us better select patients for various types of immunotherapy, like checkpoint inhibitors, CAR T-cell therapy, vaccine therapy, immunomodulatory monoclonal antibodies, and even radiation therapy[4].
In the future, we might be able to use high-throughput, next-generation sequencing techniques to study patients' mutational spectrum[4]. This would help us categorize patients by their likelihood of response to immunotherapy, ultimately leading to more personalized and effective treatments.
Enrichment Insights
- Biomarkers of potential responsiveness to immunotherapy include mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR), high microsatellite instability (MSI-H), and high tumor mutational burden (TMB-H)[1]. These conditions often result in increased mutational load, making it easier for the immune system to detect and attack cancer cells.
- Persistent mutations are less likely to disappear as cancer evolves, making it easier for the immune system to detect and attack cancer cells[3].
- Immunotherapy options include checkpoint inhibitors, CAR T-cell therapy, vaccine therapy, immunomodulatory monoclonal antibodies, and radiation therapy[2][4].
- In the future, high-throughput, next-generation sequencing techniques could be used to study patients' mutational spectrum[4].
[1] National Cancer Institute: Microsatellite Instability and Mismatch Repair Deficiency[2] American Cancer Society: Immunotherapy for Cancer[3] Johns Hopkins Medicine: Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors[4] American Society of Clinical Oncology: Immunotherapy for Cancer[5] National Cancer Institute: Immunotherapy Update, Key Scientific Advances of 2020
Immunotherapy, a treatment that boosts the immune system to fight cancer, can now potentially benefit more medical-conditions, thanks to a new discovery made by the Johns Hopkins team. This discovery focuses on a specific group of mutations within the TMB, called "persistent mutations," which are unlikely to disappear as cancer evolves, making the immune system more effective in detecting and attacking cancer cells. This could revolutionize the selection and treatment of cancer patients with immunotherapy, not just for checkpoint inhibitors or CAR T-cell therapy, but for various other treatments like vaccine therapy, immunomodulatory monoclonal antibodies, and even radiation therapy. In the future, high-throughput, next-generation sequencing techniques could be used to study patients' mutational spectrum, leading to more personalized and effective health-and-wellness treatments.
